There are many factors that go into staffing decisions -- some of which fail to take agencies' actual workloads into account.

Police officers in Portland, Ore., have seen their ranks slowly dwindle as their fellow officers retire or seek other opportunities. At the same time, the city's population and number of 911 calls keep climbing. Officials say officers often don’t even have time to investigate low-level crimes.

The situation prompted police chief Mike Marshman to call attention to what he considers a “staffing crisis” as the city council prepared for a contentious vote on a new contract that included pay hikes intended to better retain and recruit officers. The debates about the contract, which was approved last week, are a situation that police chiefs and local elected officials often find themselves in: fighting over proposed cuts or funding increases.

The predicament raises an important question: How many officers does a police department need?

Data reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI depict a wide variation in the size of departments. Washington, D.C., for instance, maintains by far the largest police presence of any city, with about 57 officers for every 10,000 residents. Not too far behind is the Wilmington, Del., Police Department, employing approximately 43 officers for every 10,000 residents. Those numbers seem big when compared with a place like San Jose, Calif., which has only 9 officers per 10,000 people.

In general, the largest cities have a greater presence of police officers than smaller and mid-sized jurisdictions. On average, all localities with populations of at least 50,000 employed 16.6 officers and 21.4 total personnel for every 10,000 residents in 2015, according to the FBI data.

While the FBI data is useful for comparing cities, it doesn't tell us how many police officers a department needs. In fact, there's no national standard for how many police officers cities should have per capita.

Police association groups and experts think they have the answer. They generally advocate that officials base staffing decisions on a systematic analysis of an agency’s current and projected future workloads. Research published by the U.S. Department of Justice outlines such a performance-based approach to staffing, which relies, in part, on examining 911 calls.

Compared to other methods, this approach better accounts for characteristics specific to an individual agency or its jurisdiction. Still, it’s not without its limitations: It's labor-intensive, and the research suggests that it works best in jurisdictions that get at least 15,000 calls a year.

Despite its cheerleaders, the “workload” approach is rarely utilized. In fact, it’s the least commonly used method, according to an analysis published by the International City/County Management Association’s (ICMA) Center for Public Safety Management.

Instead, one of the most common approaches is to base staffing on population. But that doesn’t necessarily reflect agencies’ actual workloads.

Consider, for instance, how major cities see their populations swell significantly during the daytime. Roughly half a million workers commute to Washington, D.C., each weekday along with thousands more tourists.

Another common approach bases staffing levels on predetermined minimums set by prior policies. Such arrangements are often difficult to adjust as they’re frequently cited in collective bargaining agreements.

Last year, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution proposing that the police department raise its minimum staffing level to match the city’s population growth since 1994, when a proposition setting a minimum staffing level was passed. A subsequent budget and legislative analyst report advised the city to instead conduct a workload-based assessment.

Police staffing is also subject to the budget. In an era of limited spending, cities can’t afford to pay for more than they need. But understaffing can also lead to negative financial consequences.

A recent San Jose audit found that mounting vacancies resulted in $36 million in overtime costs last year, consuming nearly 10 percent of the police department’s total expenses.

In addition to the ups and downs of a budget, upticks in crime frequently push officials to increase police staffing.

In Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel initially rejected calls to hire more police but recently agreed to provide funding for nearly 1,000 additional officers in an effort to halt the city’s well-publicized spike in homicides. But the problem with tying staffing to crime levels, according to the ICMA analysis, is that it essentially incentivizes poor performance.

And of course politics factors into police numbers. Around election season, crime frequently surfaces as a political issue, leading some officials to beef up police staffing.

Economist Steven Levitt found a significant link between elections and hiring of officers in a 1997 research paper. In the agencies that Levitt reviewed, the number of sworn officers per capita grew by 2 percent on average during mayoral and gubernatorial election years and remained flat in other years.

On a smaller level, states and the federal government play a role in hiring.

Several agencies have been the beneficiaries of federal grants from the Justice Department’s COPS Hiring Program, which funds up to 75 percent of new entry-level officer salaries for three years. Last fiscal year, the program awarded a total of $119 million to 184 law enforcement agencies.

City Police Staffing Data

This table shows the number of officers and total law enforcement, including civilian employees, per 10,000 residents in each city. Data is shown for all law enforcement agencies serving jurisdictions with a population of at least 50,000 that are recorded in the FBI data.

Police Department

Officers per 10K Population

Total Police Employees per 10K Population

Officer Count

Total Police Employee Count

Washington, DC

56.9

66.7

3,826

4,487

Wilmington, Delaware

43.4

52.0

313

375

Baltimore, Maryland

42.6

47.6

2,646

2,960

New York, New York

41.4

58.9

35,395

50,366

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

40.9

46.1

6,413

7,229

Birmingham, Alabama

39.5

51.9

838

1,102

St. Louis, Missouri

38.8

55.4

1,230

1,757

Atlanta, Georgia

38.3

47.7

1,781

2,218

Newark, New Jersey

36.8

42.8

1,033

1,203

Daytona Beach, Florida

34.8

41.6

221

264

Rochester, New York

34.0

39.7

713

834

Albany, New York

33.9

43.8

335

433

East Orange, New Jersey

33.6

41.7

219

272

Detroit, Michigan

33.5

36.2

2,255

2,436

Hartford, Connecticut

33.2

36.8

413

458

Richmond, Virginia

33.2

40.1

732

885

Charleston, South Carolina

33.1

40.2

439

533

White Plains, New York

32.8

34.6

191

202

Coral Gables, Florida

32.7

43.8

171

229

New Haven, Connecticut

32.6

36.8

425

480

Charleston, West Virginia

32.5

37.3

163

187

Boston, Massachusetts

32.2

40.4

2,139

2,689

Jackson, Tennessee

31.7

38.3

214

258

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

31.4

41.9

1,886

2,518

Memphis, Tennessee

31.0

36.3

2,040

2,389

Yonkers, New York

30.7

34.8

620

702

Jersey City, New Jersey

30.7

35.3

814

936

Greenville, South Carolina

30.3

37.6

191

237

Springfield, Massachusetts

29.6

36.1

456

556

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

29.5

37.2

674

851

North Charleston, South Carolina

29.3

36.2

320

395

Syracuse, New York

28.7

33.5

414

482

Kansas City, Missouri

28.7

38.5

1,360

1,824

Kalamazoo, Michigan

28.7

34.6

219

264

Trenton, New Jersey

28.6

37.7

239

315

Ocala, Florida

28.5

40.6

165

235

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

28.4

30.9

872

948

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

28.4

36.2

277

353

Mount Vernon, New York

28.4

39.3

195

270

Rocky Mount, North Carolina

28.2

35.5

158

199

Norfolk, Virginia

28.2

32.0

692

786

Buffalo, New York

28.1

35.3

724

910

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

27.9

36.5

499

651

Irvington, New Jersey

27.9

32.4

152

177

Paterson, New Jersey

27.4

40.5

401

593

New Bedford, Massachusetts

27.3

31.7

259

301

Bayonne, New Jersey

27.0

43.9

180

292

Hammond, Indiana

27.0

30.3

210

236

Little Rock, Arkansas

26.8

32.5

532

646

Dallas, Texas

26.8

31.0

3,484

4,040

Columbia, South Carolina

26.6

32.8

352

434

Utica, New York

26.5

29.0

162

177

Tampa, Florida

26.3

33.5

960

1,222

North Little Rock, Arkansas

26.3

31.1

179

211

Rio Rancho, New Mexico

26.3

47.2

251

450

West Palm Beach, Florida

26.3

34.9

276

366

Shreveport, Louisiana

26.0

35.4

514

699

Orlando, Florida

26.0

33.6

697

903

San Francisco, California

25.9

31.4

2,236

2,711

Miami, Florida

25.9

33.3

1,133

1,459

Waterbury, Connecticut

25.8

30.4

281

331

Fall River, Massachusetts

25.4

30.9

225

274

Cambridge, Massachusetts

25.3

28.5

281

316

Portsmouth, Virginia

25.1

34.1

241

327

Racine, Wisconsin

25.0

28.9

195

225

Los Angeles, California

24.9

32.0

9,863

12,665

Montgomery, Alabama

24.9

32.7

495

651

Plainfield, New Jersey

24.8

30.1

127

154

Chattanooga, Tennessee

24.7

30.8

433

539

Chicopee, Massachusetts

24.7

25.7

138

144

Roanoke, Virginia

24.5

29.3

245

292

Youngstown, Ohio

24.5

31.4

158

203

Hoboken, New Jersey

24.4

27.8

132

150

Union City, New Jersey

24.2

29.2

167

202

Greenwich, Connecticut

24.1

28.4

152

179

New Brunswick, New Jersey

24.1

29.5

139

170

South Bend, Indiana

24.1

28.8

244

292

Portland, Maine

24.1

32.5

161

217

Dayton, Ohio

24.0

29.1

338

410

Bridgeport, Connecticut

24.0

27.5

356

408

Decatur, Alabama

24.0

26.9

133

149

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

23.9

27.2

142

161

Evansville, Indiana

23.8

26.4

287

318

Valdosta, Georgia

23.7

27.7

135

158

Dothan, Alabama

23.6

34.2

163

236

Providence, Rhode Island

23.6

28.5

423

511

Greensboro, North Carolina

23.5

27.3

671

781

Hempstead Village, New York

23.4

27.7

131

155

East Hartford, Connecticut

23.3

30.4

119

155

Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania

23.3

25.7

136

150

Port Arthur, Texas

23.3

29.5

127

161

Delray Beach, Florida

23.3

32.2

154

213

Canton, Ohio

23.2

27.7

167

200

Union Township, New Jersey

23.1

31.9

134

185

Kenner, Louisiana

23.1

34.4

155

231

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

23.0

29.9

556

723

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan, Georgia

22.9

32.0

551

768

Burlington, North Carolina

22.9

28.8

119

150

Elizabeth, New Jersey

22.9

30.5

296

395

Houston, Texas

22.8

28.9

5,178

6,577

Worcester, Massachusetts

22.7

25.5

417

467

Newport News, Virginia

22.7

30.7

416

562

Asheville, North Carolina

22.6

27.8

201

247

Salt Lake City, Utah

22.6

27.6

433

530

Akron, Ohio

22.5

24.5

445

484

Toledo, Ohio

22.5

24.5

629

686

West Haven, Connecticut

22.5

24.5

123

134

Topeka, Kansas

22.4

26.1

285

332

Bradenton, Florida

22.4

27.4

120

147

Wilmington, North Carolina

22.4

28.2

258

325

Waltham, Massachusetts

22.3

26.7

142

170

27.8

34.3

Decatur, Illinois

22.2

26.3

163

193

Quincy, Massachusetts

22.1

25.5

207

239

Marietta, Georgia

22.0

27.9

134

170

Gainesville, Florida

22.0

26.6

285

344

Columbus, Ohio

21.9

26.0

1,855

2,205

Kingsport, Tennessee

21.8

29.6

116

157

Gastonia, North Carolina

21.8

24.8

162

184

West Allis, Wisconsin

21.8

25.9

132

157

Schenectady, New York

21.7

25.5

143

168

Johnson City, Tennessee

21.7

26.1

144

173

Brookline, Massachusetts

21.7

25.7

129

153

Santa Monica, California

21.6

39.8

203

373

Terre Haute, Indiana

21.6

23.1

132

141

Doral, Florida

21.6

28.9

122

163

Stamford, Connecticut

21.6

25.8

280

334

New Britain, Connecticut

21.6

22.8

157

166

Lowell, Massachusetts

21.6

28.5

239

316

Denver, Colorado

21.5

25.4

1,468

1,735

Knoxville, Tennessee

21.4

26.4

397

491

Albany, Georgia

21.4

24.9

161

188

Lakeland, Florida

21.4

32.1

221

332

Nashville Metropolitan Police

21.3

26.5

1,404

1,742

Vineland, New Jersey

21.2

25.5

130

156

Huntsville, Alabama

21.2

29.3

403

557

Evanston, Illinois

21.1

29.6

160

225

Hampton, Virginia

21.0

29.3

287

400

Passaic, New Jersey

21.0

24.9

151

179

Clearwater, Florida

21.0

29.3

234

326

Jonesboro, Arkansas

21.0

22.8

154

167

Frederick, Maryland

21.0

26.7

145

185

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police

21.0

26.5

1,840

2,329

Hollywood, Florida

21.0

30.0

314

449

Perth Amboy, New Jersey

20.9

25.9

110

136

Suffolk, Virginia

20.9

26.9

182

234

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police

20.9

30.9

3,264

4,825

Springfield, Ohio

20.7

23.1

124

138

Wayne Township, New Jersey

20.7

26.3

114

145

Lynchburg, Virginia

20.7

24.6

165

196

St. Petersburg, Florida

20.6

28.7

528

735

Springfield, Illinois

20.6

23.1

241

270

High Point, North Carolina

20.6

24.9

226

273

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

20.5

23.8

154

179

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

20.5

29.9

108

158

Rock Hill, South Carolina

20.5

26.7

145

189

Joplin, Missouri

20.4

29.4

105

151

Longview, Texas

20.4

22.5

167

184

Mobile, Alabama

20.4

27.7

510

694

Greenville, North Carolina

20.3

25.9

185

236

Kenosha, Wisconsin

20.3

21.5

203

215

Meriden, Connecticut

20.3

22.1

122

133

Baytown, Texas

20.2

27.0

156

208

Milford, Connecticut

20.2

23.9

108

128

Tempe, Arizona

20.2

27.9

354

490

Warwick, Rhode Island

20.2

26.4

165

216

Dearborn, Michigan

20.1

24.9

191

236

Minneapolis, Minnesota

20.1

24.5

831

1,014

Alexandria, Virginia

20.0

26.3

306

401

Lynn, Massachusetts

20.0

21.9

185

203

Scranton, Pennsylvania

20.0

22.6

150

170

Honolulu, Hawaii

20.0

25.4

1,995

2,539

Temple, Texas

19.9

23.5

143

169

Gloucester Township, New Jersey

19.9

23.5

127

150

West Hartford, Connecticut

19.9

23.1

126

146

St. Paul, Minnesota

19.9

26.3

597

790

Durham, North Carolina

19.9

27.0

512

696

Clarkstown Town, New York

19.8

22.8

163

187

New Rochelle, New York

19.8

27.0

159

217

Bartlett, Tennessee

19.8

25.4

116

149

Seattle, Washington

19.7

28.1

1,350

1,919

Taunton, Massachusetts

19.7

20.8

112

118

Anderson, Indiana

19.7

22.8

109

126

North Miami, Florida

19.7

25.2

122

156

Nashua, New Hampshire

19.7

27.0

172

236

Bristol, Connecticut

19.6

23.9

119

145

West New York, New Jersey

19.5

21.6

104

115

Manchester, New Hampshire

19.5

24.6

216

272

Boynton Beach, Florida

19.5

27.6

145

205

Springfield, Missouri

19.5

23.7

325

395

Pinellas Park, Florida

19.5

23.0

100

118

Stratford, Connecticut

19.4

20.2

103

107

Norwalk, Connecticut

19.4

23.8

172

211

Pawtucket, Rhode Island

19.3

23.7

138

170

Brockton, Massachusetts

19.3

21.4

183

203

Berwyn, Illinois

19.2

27.3

109

155

Tulsa, Oklahoma

19.2

23.2

769

931

Woodbridge Township, New Jersey

19.1

25.3

193

255

Madison, Wisconsin

19.1

23.7

475

589

Oak Lawn, Illinois

19.1

21.9

109

125

Sunrise, Florida

19.0

24.5

177

228

Clarksville, Tennessee

19.0

23.4

285

351

Athens-Clarke County, Georgia

18.9

24.2

229

292

Concord, North Carolina

18.9

22.0

165

192

McAllen, Texas

18.9

28.7

266

403

Rockford, Illinois

18.9

21.3

280

315

Aurora, Colorado

18.9

22.7

680

817

Margate, Florida

18.9

25.0

107

142

Fort Worth, Texas

18.8

24.1

1,557

2,000

Hendersonville, Tennessee

18.7

23.3

105

131

Hoover, Alabama

18.7

25.7

159

219

Tallahassee, Florida

18.7

22.2

354

422

Austin, Texas

18.6

24.4

1,750

2,290

Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey

18.6

22.7

166

202

Revere, Massachusetts

18.6

21.5

102

118

Manchester, Connecticut

18.6

23.8

108

138

North Bergen Township, New Jersey

18.6

20.2

117

127

Killeen, Texas

18.6

24.5

261

344

Lakewood, Ohio

18.6

22.9

94

116

Jacksonville, Florida

18.5

34.3

1,603

2,973

Fayetteville, North Carolina

18.4

28.3

377

579

Plymouth, Massachusetts

18.4

21.0

108

123

Joliet, Illinois

18.4

22.9

272

339

Cicero, Illinois

18.4

21.5

155

181

Grand Junction, Colorado

18.3

33.7

111

204

Indianapolis, Indiana

18.3

20.6

1,578

1,776

Fort Smith, Arkansas

18.3

24.7

160

216

Omaha, Nebraska

18.3

21.3

826

963

Louisville Metro, Kentucky

18.2

21.8

1,241

1,487

Reading, Pennsylvania

18.2

21.2

160

186

Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey

18.2

22.1

130

158

Medford, Massachusetts

18.2

18.7

105

108

Tyler, Texas

18.1

22.8

186

234

Cranston, Rhode Island

18.1

21.7

147

176

Waco, Texas

18.0

25.0

237

329

Battle Creek, Michigan

18.0

20.6

110

126

Laredo, Texas

17.9

21.0

460

537

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

17.9

21.9

222

271

Dubuque, Iowa

17.9

18.9

105

111

Green Bay, Wisconsin

17.9

21.6

188

227

Boca Raton, Florida

17.9

27.5

166

256

Blue Springs, Missouri

17.8

25.5

96

137

Lakewood, Colorado

17.8

28.4

270

429

Phoenix, Arizona

17.8

23.7

2,781

3,698

Largo, Florida

17.8

22.3

141

177

Tonawanda Town, New York

17.8

25.9

103

150

Plantation, Florida

17.7

27.3

165

254

Jupiter, Florida

17.7

21.8

110

135

Council Bluffs, Iowa

17.7

20.9

110

130

Allentown, Pennsylvania

17.7

19.5

211

233

Tucson, Arizona

17.6

23.1

932

1,222

Hamilton, Ohio

17.6

18.9

110

118

Bellevue, Nebraska

17.6

20.1

96

110

Yuma, Arizona

17.6

27.8

165

261

Springdale, Arkansas

17.6

23.8

137

186

Lawton, Oklahoma

17.6

24.3

170

235

Waterloo, Iowa

17.6

18.9

120

129

Pueblo, Colorado

17.6

22.2

191

242

Pasadena, Texas

17.5

22.0

272

341

Framingham, Massachusetts

17.5

19.5

125

139

Duluth, Minnesota

17.5

20.4

151

176

Oakland, California

17.5

24.6

734

1,034

Erie, Pennsylvania

17.5

19.7

173

195

Davie, Florida

17.5

24.3

176

244

Brick Township, New Jersey

17.5

25.2

133

192

Scottsdale, Arizona

17.4

27.5

408

644

Hamden, Connecticut

17.4

21.5

107

132

Abilene, Texas

17.4

22.7

212

277

Wichita Falls, Texas

17.4

26.0

183

274

Fort Wayne, Indiana

17.4

19.7

451

511

Toms River Township, New Jersey

17.3

20.7

158

189

Danbury, Connecticut

17.3

17.9

146

151

Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, New Jersey

17.3

21.6

93

116

Harrisonburg, Virginia

17.3

21.2

92

113

Clifton, New Jersey

17.3

20.9

149

180

Mount Pleasant, South Carolina

17.3

20.0

139

161

Commerce City, Colorado

17.3

21.6

92

115

La Crosse, Wisconsin

17.3

20.3

91

107

Amarillo, Texas

17.2

19.7

342

392

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

17.2

20.5

103

123

Fairfield, Connecticut

17.2

18.1

106

112

Conroe, Texas

17.2

23.6

117

161

Kokomo, Indiana

17.1

20.5

98

117

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

17.1

21.6

1,081

1,362

Glendale, Arizona

17.1

22.3

412

535

Des Moines, Iowa

17.1

21.8

360

459

Orland Park, Illinois

17.1

21.5

101

127

Virginia Beach, Virginia

17.0

21.0

772

953

Bowling Green, Kentucky

17.0

22.4

108

142

Everett, Washington

17.0

20.4

183

220

Raleigh, North Carolina

17.0

19.1

761

856

Grapevine, Texas

16.9

25.0

88

130

Auburn, Alabama

16.9

17.9

105

111

Alpharetta, Georgia

16.9

21.7

109

140

Franklin, Tennessee

16.9

20.5

123

149

Howell Township, New Jersey

16.9

20.0

88

104

Sugar Land, Texas

16.9

19.4

150

172

Conway, Arkansas

16.9

23.6

111

155

Mission, Texas

16.9

22.6

141

189

Malden, Massachusetts

16.8

18.8

103

115

Edinburg, Texas

16.8

23.3

143

198

Homestead, Florida

16.8

22.8

112

152

Grand Island, Nebraska

16.8

20.1

87

104

Enid, Oklahoma

16.8

21.0

87

109

Mesa, Arizona

16.8

25.3

789

1,192

Independence, Missouri

16.7

23.7

197

279

Rapid City, South Dakota

16.7

20.5

123

151

Southfield, Michigan

16.6

20.9

122

153

Florissant, Missouri

16.6

20.8

87

109

Edison Township, New Jersey

16.6

21.3

170

218

Chesapeake, Virginia

16.6

21.9

391

516

Lenexa, Kansas

16.6

24.5

86

127

Jacksonville, North Carolina

16.6

21.1

114

145

Bryan, Texas

16.6

20.7

136

170

Boulder, Colorado

16.6

25.4

177

271

Peabody, Massachusetts

16.5

20.1

87

106

Waukesha, Wisconsin

16.5

21.2

118

152

Victoria, Texas

16.4

21.5

110

144

Flagstaff, Arizona

16.4

23.6

114

164

Pocatello, Idaho

16.4

23.9

89

130

Bensalem Township, Pennsylvania

16.4

20.2

99

122

Owensboro, Kentucky

16.4

22.7

96

133

Lakewood, Washington

16.3

18.8

98

113

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

16.3

21.6

212

280

Elgin, Illinois

16.3

21.0

182

235

Tacoma, Washington

16.2

18.0

336

372

Rogers, Arkansas

16.2

22.8

102

143

St. Joseph, Missouri

16.2

21.9

125

169

Weymouth, Massachusetts

16.2

19.2

91

108

Cheektowaga Town, New York

16.2

21.0

127

165

Cheyenne, Wyoming

16.2

19.2

103

122

Long Beach, California

16.2

23.6

771

1,123

Somerville, Massachusetts

16.2

20.3

129

162

Coconut Creek, Florida

16.2

21.7

97

130

Lawrence, Massachusetts

16.1

18.6

127

146

Richmond, California

16.1

24.2

177

265

Midwest City, Oklahoma

16.1

21.5

93

124

Lexington, Kentucky

16.1

18.5

506

581

Broomfield, Colorado

16.1

30.0

103

192

Abington Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

16.0

20.4

89

114

Smyrna, Georgia

15.9

24.2

89

135

Huntersville, North Carolina

15.9

17.2

84

91

St. Charles, Missouri

15.9

21.9

109

150

Westminster, Colorado

15.9

22.5

180

256

Newport Beach, California

15.8

24.7

139

217

St. Peters, Missouri

15.8

20.2

90

115

Bismarck, North Dakota

15.8

19.9

112

141

Pharr, Texas

15.8

22.1

121

169

San Marcos, Texas

15.7

21.9

99

138

Mesquite, Texas

15.7

20.7

229

302

Lubbock, Texas

15.7

20.5

388

506

Casper, Wyoming

15.6

18.9

96

116

Middletown Township, New Jersey

15.6

19.3

103

127

Janesville, Wisconsin

15.6

17.6

100

113

Pasadena, California

15.6

23.5

221

333

Coral Springs, Florida

15.6

23.0

202

298

Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey

15.6

18.6

104

124

San Angelo, Texas

15.5

18.5

156

186

Lansing, Michigan

15.5

17.8

178

204

Newton, Massachusetts

15.5

20.2

138

180

North Richland Hills, Texas

15.5

26.1

108

182

Mount Prospect, Illinois

15.4

18.7

85

103

Des Plaines, Illinois

15.4

18.6

91

110

Inglewood, California

15.4

20.0

173

225

Wichita, Kansas

15.3

20.0

598

780

Davenport, Iowa

15.3

17.8

158

184

North Port, Florida

15.2

19.5

93

119

Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania

15.2

17.5

126

145

Gardena, California

15.1

19.2

92

117

Ogden, Utah

15.1

18.8

128

159

Sioux City, Iowa

15.0

18.1

124

149

St. Cloud, Minnesota

15.0

18.9

100

126

Leesburg, Virginia

15.0

17.8

77

91

Longmont, Colorado

15.0

22.3

137

203

San Antonio, Texas

15.0

18.5

2,191

2,708

Appleton, Wisconsin

14.9

18.3

111

136

Kettering, Ohio

14.9

19.8

83

110

Port Orange, Florida

14.8

17.2

88

102

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

14.8

17.1

99

114

Yakima, Washington

14.8

19.6

139

184

El Paso, Texas

14.7

18.4

1,010

1,264

Pembroke Pines, Florida

14.7

19.7

246

330

Normal, Illinois

14.7

16.7

81

92

Bloomington, Illinois

14.6

19.1

116

151

Moore, Oklahoma

14.6

15.5

88

93

Dearborn Heights, Michigan

14.6

17.6

82

99

Missoula, Montana

14.6

17.7

103

125

Grand Rapids, Michigan

14.6

18.6

285

364

Warren, Michigan

14.6

17.4

197

235

Spokane, Washington

14.5

18.8

309

399

Champaign, Illinois

14.5

17.2

124

147

Lee's Summit, Missouri

14.5

20.3

137

192

Irving, Texas

14.5

21.3

342

504

Roswell, Georgia

14.5

20.3

138

194

Portland, Oregon

14.5

18.3

908

1,150

Grand Forks, North Dakota

14.4

17.1

82

97

Greeley, Colorado

14.4

20.0

144

200

Norman, Oklahoma

14.4

19.1

172

229

Great Falls, Montana

14.3

21.6

85

128

Lewisville, Texas

14.3

20.5

150

215

Berkeley, California

14.3

21.6

172

260

Casa Grande, Arizona

14.3

21.4

74

111

Muncie, Indiana

14.2

15.0

100

105

Garland, Texas

14.2

19.6

338

465

Torrance, California

14.2

21.0

212

314

Fayetteville, Arkansas

14.2

19.5

117

161

Santa Cruz, California

14.2

17.3

91

111

Schaumburg, Illinois

14.1

18.8

106

141

Buckeye, Arizona

14.1

18.6

87

115

Piscataway Township, New Jersey

14.1

17.3

84

103

Arvada, Colorado

14.0

19.8

162

228

Sunnyvale, California

14.0

18.6

214

284

Colorado Springs, Colorado

14.0

20.2

635

913

Miramar, Florida

14.0

18.7

194

258

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

14.0

19.5

95

133

Santa Barbara, California

13.9

21.7

128

199

Jackson Township, New Jersey

13.9

17.1

79

97

Richardson, Texas

13.9

22.0

154

244

Lauderhill, Florida

13.8

16.1

99

115

Haverhill, Massachusetts

13.8

15.9

87

100

Burbank, California

13.8

21.3

146

226

St. George, Utah

13.8

20.0

110

160

Ontario, California

13.7

18.9

234

321

Corpus Christi, Texas

13.7

20.0

445

649

Palm Bay, Florida

13.7

20.5

146

218

Idaho Falls, Idaho

13.7

20.6

81

122

Beaverton, Oregon

13.7

17.8

132

172

Pearland, Texas

13.7

16.8

146

179

Kentwood, Michigan

13.6

15.8

70

81

Livonia, Michigan

13.6

18.1

129

171

St. Clair Shores, Michigan

13.6

14.3

82

86

Colonie Town, New York

13.6

18.5

108

147

Auburn, Washington

13.6

16.2

106

126

Sioux Falls, South Dakota

13.6

15.6

234

268

Edmond, Oklahoma

13.5

17.4

122

157

Fresno, California

13.5

18.4

702

959

San Diego, California

13.5

18.2

1,887

2,545

Whittier, California

13.4

19.2

118

169

Avondale, Arizona

13.4

19.2

108

155

O'Fallon, Missouri

13.4

17.4

114

148

Brookhaven, Georgia

13.4

14.7

69

76

Arlington Heights, Illinois

13.4

17.2

102

131

Lakewood Township, New Jersey

13.4

16.6

128

159

Brooklyn Park, Minnesota

13.3

17.2

106

137

Lake Havasu City, Arizona

13.3

20.3

71

108

Bellingham, Washington

13.3

19.9

112

167

West Valley, Utah

13.3

16.1

181

219

National City, California

13.3

18.4

81

112

Chandler, Arizona

13.3

19.6

345

508

Bloomington, Minnesota

13.3

16.8

116

146

Fort Collins, Colorado

13.2

20.9

211

333

Tigard, Oregon

13.2

16.1

68

83

Columbia, Missouri

13.2

16.1

157

191

Overland Park, Kansas

13.2

15.8

247

295

Sacramento, California

13.2

19.4

646

949

Fargo, North Dakota

13.2

15.2

156

180

Federal Way, Washington

13.1

16.2

124

153

Grand Prairie, Texas

13.1

19.5

246

366

Rowlett, Texas

13.1

17.5

77

103

Tinley Park, Illinois

13.1

17.9

75

103

Redmond, Washington

13.0

20.5

79

124

Allen, Texas

13.0

18.0

126

174

Warner Robins, Georgia

12.9

18.4

96

137

Missouri City, Texas

12.9

18.0

94

131

Cape Coral, Florida

12.8

17.7

223

308

Old Bridge Township, New Jersey

12.8

16.3

86

110

Stockton, California

12.8

18.7

389

571

College Station, Texas

12.8

17.9

135

190

Port St. Lucie, Florida

12.7

16.4

224

289

Carmel, Indiana

12.7

15.3

112

135

Hillsboro, Oregon

12.6

17.0

128

172

Royal Oak, Michigan

12.6

14.8

75

88

Palo Alto, California

12.6

21.0

85

142

Shawnee, Kansas

12.6

15.5

82

101

Boise, Idaho

12.6

16.5

275

361

Amherst Town, New York

12.6

14.9

151

179

Midland, Texas

12.5

16.1

166

213

Denton, Texas

12.5

16.2

164

213

Farmington Hills, Michigan

12.5

16.6

102

136

Medford, Oregon

12.5

17.0

99

135

Cedar Park, Texas

12.4

16.8

83

112

Redondo Beach, California

12.4

20.3

85

139

Loveland, Colorado

12.4

18.6

92

138

Nampa, Idaho

12.4

17.9

111

161

Parker, Colorado

12.3

18.6

63

95

Watsonville, California

12.3

16.4

66

88

Reno, Nevada

12.3

14.5

295

347

Plano, Texas

12.3

20.1

348

570

Billings, Montana

12.3

14.6

135

161

Olathe, Kansas

12.2

14.2

165

191

Georgetown, Texas

12.2

18.6

76

116

Bellevue, Washington

12.2

15.4

169

213

Parma, Ohio

12.2

19.0

97

151

Carrollton, Texas

12.2

15.2

159

199

Chino, California

12.2

18.0

105

155

Caldwell, Idaho

12.1

14.8

62

76

Taylor, Michigan

12.1

15.3

74

94

Sandy Springs, Georgia

12.0

13.6

125

141

Troy, Michigan

12.0

17.9

100

150

South San Francisco, California

11.9

16.2

81

110

Rochester, Minnesota

11.9

16.3

134

184

Renton, Washington

11.9

15.0

119

150

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

11.9

17.0

126

180

Henderson, Nevada

11.8

20.2

334

570

Walnut Creek, California

11.8

16.2

81

111

Concord, California

11.8

16.0

152

206

Cary, North Carolina

11.8

14.1

189

226

Thornton, Colorado

11.8

17.6

157

235

Burnsville, Minnesota

11.8

14.0

73

87

Kennewick, Washington

11.8

13.6

92

106

Goodyear, Arizona

11.7

16.1

92

126

Odessa, Texas

11.7

17.4

139

206

Lincoln, Nebraska

11.7

17.4

324

481

Wheaton, Illinois

11.7

14.7

63

79

Oceanside, California

11.7

15.7

206

276

Glendale, California

11.7

16.8

236

339

Sandy, Utah

11.6

15.0

107

138

Arcadia, California

11.6

15.8

68

93

Santa Clara, California

11.6

16.2

143

200

Flower Mound, Texas

11.6

17.3

82

123

North Las Vegas, Nevada

11.5

17.4

270

409

Sterling Heights, Michigan

11.5

13.2

152

175

Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania

11.5

13.9

62

75

Albany, Oregon

11.5

17.0

60

89

Salem, Oregon

11.4

19.2

187

313

Ventura, California

11.4

15.0

126

165

Castle Rock, Colorado

11.4

15.6

66

90

Oxnard, California

11.4

17.3

237

358

Anaheim, California

11.4

16.5

399

577

Gilroy, California

11.4

17.0

61

91

Centennial, Colorado

11.4

14.5

124

158

Riverside, California

11.4

15.9

368

515

Fishers, Indiana

11.4

12.6

101

112

Tulare, California

11.4

17.4

71

109

El Cajon, California

11.4

17.4

118

181

Eugene, Oregon

11.3

19.3

183

312

Bloomington, Indiana

11.3

17.9

95

150

Milpitas, California

11.3

14.4

85

109

Richland, Washington

11.3

14.0

61

76

Monterey Park, California

11.2

15.5

69

96

Mountain View, California

11.2

16.5

90

133

Ramapo Town, New York

11.1

13.6

101

123

Brentwood, California

11.1

13.7

65

80

Wyoming, Michigan

11.1

13.1

84

99

Redlands, California

11.1

16.2

79

115

Tustin, California

11.1

17.1

91

140

Hayward, California

11.1

18.3

174

288

Spokane Valley, Washington

11.1

11.2

102

103

Lodi, California

11.0

15.8

71

102

West Sacramento, California

11.0

14.4

58

76

Kent, Washington

11.0

14.9

140

190

Peoria, Arizona

11.0

16.6

187

283

Pittsburg, California

11.0

13.8

76

96

Iowa City, Iowa

11.0

13.9

82

104

Vancouver, Washington

10.9

12.2

187

208

Santa Maria, California

10.9

15.6

114

163

Kirkland, Washington

10.9

15.1

95

131

Springfield, Oregon

10.9

16.4

66

99

West Bloomfield Township, Michigan

10.9

14.8

72

98

Sparks, Nevada

10.9

15.3

104

147

McKinney, Texas

10.8

13.6

176

222

State College, Pennsylvania

10.7

12.5

62

72

Gresham, Oregon

10.7

13.4

119

149

Bristol Township, Pennsylvania

10.7

11.8

58

64

La Habra, California

10.7

15.8

67

99

Woodland, California

10.7

13.3

62

77

Orange, California

10.7

14.4

150

203

Redding, California

10.6

14.0

98

129

Hawthorne, California

10.6

14.9

94

132

Visalia, California

10.6

15.5

138

202

Montebello, California

10.6

16.0

68

103

San Rafael, California

10.6

14.4

63

86

Alameda, California

10.6

14.2

83

112

La Mesa, California

10.6

15.4

63

92

Frisco, Texas

10.5

15.1

161

231

Eagan, Minnesota

10.5

12.5

70

83

Eden Prairie, Minnesota

10.5

14.3

67

91

Layton, Utah

10.5

14.6

77

107

Novi, Michigan

10.5

14.0

62

83

Bowie, Maryland

10.5

11.5

61

67

Fountain Valley, California

10.5

13.8

60

79

San Mateo, California

10.5

13.7

109

143

Daly City, California

10.4

14.1

112

151

Redwood City, California

10.4

13.4

88

113

Minnetonka, Minnesota

10.4

13.5

54

70

Bakersfield, California

10.4

14.5

388

542

Huntington Beach, California

10.3

16.2

210

330

Fairfield, California

10.3

15.8

116

178

Turlock, California

10.3

15.4

74

111

Burien, Washington

10.3

14.2

52

72

Modesto, California

10.2

14.0

216

295

Novato, California

10.2

14.5

57

81

Edina, Minnesota

10.2

14.2

51

71

Woodbury, Minnesota

10.1

11.6

69

79

Rialto, California

10.1

13.4

105

139

Greece Town, New York

10.1

10.7

98

104

San Leandro, California

10.1

14.8

91

134

Costa Mesa, California

10.0

15.6

114

177

Porterville, California

10.0

14.3

56

80

Apple Valley, Minnesota

10.0

11.6

51

59

West Des Moines, Iowa

10.0

12.8

65

83

Bend, Oregon

10.0

13.1

86

113

Flint, Michigan

10.0

11.5

98

113

Pomona, California

10.0

16.4

154

253

Surprise, Arizona

10.0

14.0

128

180

Hanford, California

9.9

14.6

55

81

Fullerton, California

9.9

14.4

140

203

Greenwood, Indiana

9.9

11.7

55

65

Vacaville, California

9.9

15.4

96

149

Pleasanton, California

9.9

13.9

79

111

Irondequoit Town, New York

9.9

11.9

51

61

Buena Park, California

9.9

14.2

83

119

Citrus Heights, California

9.9

15.2

86

132

San Bernardino, California

9.9

18.2

214

394

Meridian, Idaho

9.9

12.3

90

112

Alhambra, California

9.9

14.9

85

128

Ann Arbor, Michigan

9.9

12.0

117

143

Ankeny, Iowa

9.8

11.3

55

63

Corvallis, Oregon

9.8

16.7

54

92

Coon Rapids, Minnesota

9.8

11.1

61

69

Pasco, Washington

9.8

11.5

69

81

Chico, California

9.8

15.0

88

135

Union City, California

9.8

13.0

73

97

Roseville, California

9.8

14.3

128

187

Petaluma, California

9.8

13.2

59

80

Escondido, California

9.8

13.0

148

198

Livermore, California

9.7

14.8

86

131

Delano, California

9.7

12.9

51

68

Merced, California

9.7

14.0

80

115

Tracy, California

9.6

14.1

83

122

Corona, California

9.6

13.6

157

222

Simi Valley, California

9.6

14.0

122

178

Maple Grove, Minnesota

9.5

11.4

65

78

Downey, California

9.5

12.8

109

147

Westland, Michigan

9.4

12.6

77

103

Huntington Park, California

9.4

15.1

56

90

Colton, California

9.4

14.3

51

78

Plymouth, Minnesota

9.3

11.2

71

85

West Jordan, Utah

9.3

12.4

105

140

Westminster, California

9.3

12.8

86

119

Santa Rosa, California

9.3

13.7

163

241

Glendora, California

9.3

15.7

48

81

Canton Township, Michigan

9.3

13.3

83

119

Clovis, California

9.3

14.9

96

155

Carlsbad, California

9.2

13.3

105

152

Marysville, Washington

9.2

13.0

61

86

Blaine, Minnesota

9.2

11.7

57

73

Shoreline, Washington

9.2

12.4

51

69

El Monte, California

9.1

12.6

107

148

San Jose, California

9.1

12.8

939

1,325

Gilbert, Arizona

9.1

13.6

225

336

Provo, Utah

9.0

13.3

104

153

Santa Ana, California

9.0

15.6

302

527

Fontana, California

8.9

13.2

185

274

Napa, California

8.9

14.1

72

114

Vallejo, California

8.9

12.0

108

145

Rocklin, California

8.8

13.3

54

81

Folsom, California

8.8

11.7

67

89

Orem, Utah

8.7

12.7

81

118

Upland, California

8.7

11.9

67

91

Garden Grove, California

8.7

12.3

154

217

Madera, California

8.7

11.5

56

74

Clinton Township, Michigan

8.7

9.8

87

98

Placentia, California

8.7

11.8

46

62

Lakeville, Minnesota

8.7

10.2

53

62

San Ramon, California

8.5

10.6

65

81

Cathedral City, California

8.5

12.4

46

67

Baldwin Park, California

8.4

11.9

65

92

Davis, California

8.4

13.7

56

92

Antioch, California

8.2

10.4

91

115

Yuba City, California

8.2

11.8

54

78

Chula Vista, California

8.2

11.4

217

303

West Covina, California

8.2

13.8

89

150

Ames, Iowa

8.1

11.5

52

74

South Gate, California

8.1

12.2

78

118

Lehi, Utah

8.0

9.1

47

53

Manteca, California

8.0

11.2

60

84

York Area Regional, Pennsylvania

8.0

8.7

44

48

Irvine, California

7.9

11.5

203

298

Murrieta, California

7.8

11.5

85

126

Fremont, California

7.7

12.0

180

280

Hemet, California

7.7

10.6

65

89

Shelby Township, Michigan

7.7

10.2

60

79

South Jordan, Utah

7.7

8.9

51

59

Salinas, California

7.7

11.1

122

175

Johns Creek, Georgia

7.6

8.5

64

72

Elk Grove, California

7.5

12.3

124

205

Northern York Regional, Pennsylvania

7.2

7.7

49

53

Indio, California

7.1

11.5

62

100

Waterford Township, Michigan

7.1

9.0

52

66

Sammamish, Washington

5.2

6.3

27

33

SOURCE: Governing calculations of 2015 FBI UCR data.

Data notes

The FBI defines officers as employees who “ordinarily carry a firearm and a badge, have full arrest powers, and are paid from governmental funds set aside specifically to pay sworn law enforcement.”

Total employee figures include civilian positions, such as dispatchers, clerks and correctional officers.

Multiple agencies serving a single jurisdiction are not reflected in per capita totals.

Some larger agencies, including the Chicago Police Department, did not report data to the FBI.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg data reflect only the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department and exclude the Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office.

Jails and prisons around the country are replacing in-person visits with video calls, enacting strict mail policies and other regulations that limit inmates' communication with family, friends and lawyers.